Grovesdale High
by The Other
Summary: Six years after they graduate, Kurt and Blaine take up their own show choir. What problems are they going to face and deal with, having kids much like themselves to deal with and teach?
1. The Tour

_**A/N: The opening chapter, where I tried to cram in so much information that I've ended up hating it already. Great start, yeah?**_

_**FutureFic - set about 6 years into the future. You'll get the gist of it eventually. **_

_**Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not mine. **_

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><p>"Ugh." Kurt stepped into the common staffroom, meeting the gazes of all the teachers - the strangers he was preparing himself to meet.<p>

Blaine took his hand - half for comfort and half to make a statement. Blaine confidently pulled him into the staffroom.

"Hey everybody." He grinned easily, giving a brief wave to the room. "I'm Blaine Anderson...this is my partner, Kurt Hummel - we're the new show choir directors!"

Kurt let out a small wave, met with nods and smiles of...acceptance - welcoming them? Kurt expected a more solid reaction - something...anything? Times had changed, he guessed, since he was at high school. People were way more accepting of gays - even in college everyone was pretty okay with it.

"Welcome to Grovesdale then boys...I'm Sam Noble, the principal," said a friendly face. He was tall, with long arms and legs, towering well over the heads of both Blaine and Kurt. He was much older, well into his forties, grey hair just beginning to show below the dark brown locks. They smiled up at him, shaking his hand as he extended it towards them. "Would you guys like a tour before tomorrow?"

It was Monday - the first Monday of the year - and a pupil free day.

"That would be fantastic. It took us almost ten minutes to find this room." Kurt laughed, feeling more at ease.

Sam nodded and headed to the table in the centre of the room, picking up diaries. "These are your friends," he grinned. "Write everything in here - there's a map of the school on the back just in case."

Blaine and Kurt took them eagerly, flipping through it quickly. "If you'll follow me, I'll give you guys a quick tour."

They nodded, following him silently.

"You are from Ohio, right?" he asked, and they both nodded. "Must've been cold?"

They both nodded again, and Sam smiled. "You boys don't talk much...I expected show choir directors to be a lot more chatty."

Blaine grinned a little. "Sorry sir, it's our first job in a town we're unfamiliar with...we're a bit...overwhelmed."

Sam smiled widely. "Boys, it's Sam. Not Sir. You're not in school anymore." he looked around, laughing at his joke. "Now, Grovesdale is a little different from most schools - we don't have hallways."

He led them outside to a piazza of sorts. They looked around, confused. It was large and had places to sit and eat - like a cafeteria only outside. Grovesdale was nothing like McKinley.

"The buildings are labelled, A through to I. They...go in some kind of order, but I've been teaching here for twenty years and I haven't figured it out yet." he laughed, turning their diaries over to the map. "We're standing here, surrounded by A, B and C block."

He pointed out the three blocks, and both Kurt and Blaine frowned in confusion. "Individual rooms are located along the blocks...they're labelled with the Block Name, then what floor it's on, and then the room name. For example, AG02 is in A Block, on the Ground Floor and is the second room."

"Ooh..." Kurt muttered, and Blaine nodded.

Sam took them on a trek around the whole school, pointing out places of interest, until the tour finished at the Drama Building - N Block.

"NG03 - this is where your rehearshals will be held. There is a small stage, a light and sound desk and many chairs. When you're getting towards dress rehearsals, the Performance Hall will be avaliable to you - there's a booking sheet in the common staff room."

Blaine and Kurt blinked a little stupidly.

"N Block...that's where we have to be..." Kurt marked it on his map. "B Block is the common staff room..." he marked that too.

"N Block is going to be your home - it's basically the Performing Arts Centre. Your personal staff room is here." He pointed out a large room with large desks and two empty sections. He turned and saw their dumb expressions and laughed. "Confused yet?"

"A little..." Blaine shrugged. "Nothing we can't get used to."

Sam smiled and beamed at them. "I like you boys. Make sure you post your sign-up sheets around before tomorrow...I'll let you get settled in your staffroom. If you get lost, you know my cell phone number, right?"

Both of them nodded and Sam grinned, leaving them.

"Wow..."

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><p><em><strong>AN: Just the starter. You'll meet the kids tomorrow, more will be explained, and we'll tackle the first boulder that Klaine have to jump over, in order to get their Glee club together. By the way, if anyone has any Glee Club names to suggest for me to use, they'd be appreciated. I...am so stuck...I can't figure out a name for the Grovesdale State High School Glee Club. XD Everything else is sorted - I've got a bloody book on this whole school...which is modeled after my own school :D**_

_**Omg guys, Blaine got a last name on the site! **_


	2. First Day of School

_**A/N: Wow. Got an abundance of Alerts for this chapter, I didn't expect such a positive response XD So Hi Guys! *Waves* For all of you that got to this story from 'A Collection of Klaine', you notice that that chapter was WELL into the future. Ooops :) Haha. Anyway, here's the second chapter. Gotta love Klaine goodness.**_

_**Also thanks for the reviews - I would totally reply to them all individually, but is being weird and won't let me do it straight from my email like normal...and I can't be bothered going straight into the site and doing it. However, if you have a specific question or you say something incredibly awesome, I'll consider replying XD **_

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><p>Tuesday. Today would decide their fate.<p>

Kurt chewed on his lower lip, standing in the middle of NG03. Blaine smirked from his place at the piano, waiting for the clock to tick over. It was almost the end of the day. Their sign-up sheets had better results than expected, with at least twenty legitimate names all together.

Kurt was surprised. Maybe it was just McKinley that hated Glee clubs.

The bell rang for last period, and Kurt turned around, shooting Blaine a panicked look.

"Relax..." he called from the piano. "We're adults now. We own them."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Tell that to Holly Holiday."

Blaine looked at him inquizitively, but let it go as the first person entered the room.

Kurt drew in a breath, and was plesantly surprised. It was a boy - tall and muscular, wearing the schools' football jersey. The Grovesdale Lions were a good team - friendships were strong in their group and they won most of their games. Kurt was surprised that a member of the team was the first to walk in.

"Hi." the boy said a little awkwardly under Kurt's stare.

"Oh wow. Sorry. Welcome to Glee Club!" Kurt grinned brightly. "Please write your name on this sheet!"

The boy nodded with an easy grin and strode up to the sheet, scribbling his name before taking a seat in the chairs provided. More kids trickled in, varying in age, size, confidence, ethnicity and social groups.

And then Kurt saw her, and he knew straight away that she would be trouble.

It was...Rachel, almost. Kurt glanced back at Blaine, who had joined him and was standing behind him with wide eyes. He clearly saw it too. It's not like the girl even looked like Rachel - she was blonde and had blue eyes, but her wide smile and her personality was almost uncanny. Immediately, she approached them.

"Hi! I'm Sandy! Are you our directors?"

Kurt had to smile. He couldn't help it. "We are." He expected her to mention something about gay parents, but she didn't. She just nodded and left to join her friends.

After doing a quick headcount, there were 18 people. Blaine and Kurt let them talk for a minute and a half, before approaching the group.

Blaine took the lead, standing in front of them. "Welcome to Glee Club! I assume this is the first Glee Club that Grovesdale has?"

There were several nods and Blaine continued. "Excellent. Now...there will be no audition process - you turn up, you're in. This may seem a bit weird - you're probably thinking - 'if anyone gets in, how do we separate the talented from those that are just cruising'?"

The Glee Clubbers looked a little apprehensive at his approach. Some were smiling, but others looked a little insulted.

Blaine powered on. "We're letting you choose. If you want solos, you put your name down on this sheet." Kurt held up a blue sheet. "If you want to hold the majority of dancing, you put your name on this sheet." Kurt held up a yellow sheet. "And if you want to be the ones that stand around, swaying slightly and singing normally, you put your name on this sheet." He held up a white sheet.

"Understand?" Kurt piped up and they all nodded, looking a little more trustful. "Then go!"

There was no surprised when Sandy shot forward to the blue sheet, scrawling her name down. Kurt watched as some people wrote down their names on the white sheet - he didn't expect people to _want _to be the backup, but he guessed some weren't very confident. When they were all seated again, Blaine smiled.

"Thank you everyone. Now that we've got that out of the way, we can start!"

One of the boys, sitting in the back row, raised his hand.

"Oh, yes?"

"Who are you guys?"

Blaine almost facepalmed. "Wow, sorry guys. We totally forgot to introduce ourselves."

The class was more relaxed now, they grinned and laughed. "I'm ...Mr. Anderson"

Three of the boys burst into laughter, and Kurt watched them carefully. They were identical triplets, Kurt believed, but they weren't sitting together so it was hard to pick out differences.

"We've been expecting you...Mr. Anderson..." the three of them said in low voices, and Blaine laughed, nodding.

"Good call guys." Blaine turned to Kurt. "This is my partner, Mr. Hummel."

There was an awkward silence, and Kurt internally cringed.

"Are you guys...like..." one of the other boys started, but trailed off.

"Gay?" Blaine offered, and he looked away. "Yes. We are. If you have a problem with that, I suggest you speak up now. We're show choir directions, and we're passionate about what we do - we want you guys to get to the top and to win. Us being gay shouldn't have anything to do with that."

There was another silence before the class seemed to accept his answer, returning their smiles and nodding slightly.

Kurt smiled proudly at his boy, stepping forward. "Okay, now that introductions are done, let's sing!"

"Sing...what, exactly?" one girl spoke up.

Blaine stepped over to the stereo and grinned. "Whatever comes on the radio. Show us what you can do - dance and make up things, sing as well as you can and just have fun. We want you guys to relax and feel the music." he turned it on and switched to a station, which was blaring out a pop song.

When nobody moved, Blaine and Kurt glanced at each other, before simultaineously breaking out into random dance moves, ignoring the laughter that broke out. This inspired Sandy and her three friends to get up and join them. Slowly but surely, the whole class was dancing, laughing and singing.

Kurt and Blaine exchanged a glance, grinning.

They'd passed their first day...

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><p><em><strong>AN: Corny ending to a rough chapter. Ugh. I'm home sick today and I guess me being sick gives you crap XD Storylines and more members next chapter!**_


	3. Raise Your Glass Again

**A/N: Wow, another chapter? Well, I've actually written chapter four too, but I'm going to try and space it out XD  
><strong>

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><p>Blaine unlocked their apartment room, sighing heavily.<p>

"What a day..." Blaine mumbled, and Kurt nodded, following him into their apartment.

Kurt looked around glumly. They had been living in this apartment for about a month, but it didn't get any better each time Kurt saw it. It was small, that was for sure. The front door lead from a hallway, and opened into the lounge/dining room. They had set up a small TV and their computer in this room, which had a small kitchen attached to it. A two-step hallway led to the bathroom and shower, and opposite that was their bathroom.

Kurt sighed. They didn't have much money - and they were in a lot of debt from college, but they were getting there. Being choir directors was just temporary...what they really wanted to do was go to New York - like Kurt had dreamed when they visited for Nationals.

Blaine took his hand. He had left his parents as soon as he could - and didn't get much money from them. Burt and Carole were helping as much as they could, but Kurt continously refused them.

"What have we got planned for tomorrow?" he asked, pulling Kurt into a hug.

Kurt hugged him back, leaning his chin on Blaine's shoulder. "We should probably get them to sing individually for us...well, the soloists at least. Then the guys that wanted to be back ups should...sing as a group..."

He yawned tiredly, and Blaine laughed. It was six thirty - Glee club had only run until five, but they had stayed back an hour later to meet the other teachers and to talk to Sam.

"Bedtime? We'll cover it tomorrow...we don't have to get there until later."

Kurt nodded and Blaine grinned, pulling him down the hallway.

"Whoa, whoa, wait." Kurt stopped him. "What about dinner?"

Blaine sighed. "Well...if you're hungry, we could go out for something...the fridge is a little bare..."

Searching for jobs had put a toll on their everyday lives - they hadn't been grocery shopping in a while and they had been eating out most of the time.

Kurt shrugged. "We'll skip dinner tonight, then we can have breakfast tomorrow at the coffee shop...and then we'll go shopping for actual food, then we'll do the lesson plan."

Blaine grinned, nodding and pulling him to the bedroom.

^.^

Six in the morning was an unreasonable time to get up in the morning. It truely was. But Blaine didn't think that sleeping for twelve hours straight would be good for their sleeping patterns. He woke up with his arms around Kurt - strange, considering they normally woke up so far apart that you could put another person between them.

It's not that they didn't like sleeping together - they just liked their space in the morning. Trying to wake him as nicely as possible, Blaine kissed his temple and prodded him gently with his fingers, until he murmured something that sounded vaguely like 'piss off'.

Blaine kissed down his face to his neck. "Nope. I'm hungry."

Kurt blinked sleepily, grumbling under his breath. "I like sleep."

"Tough."

He let out a sleepy laugh and Blaine let go of him, letting him sit up and rub his eyes. "Mmmkay...I need a shower first though."

"Yeah, me too."

Kurt glanced over at him with a shy smile. "Want to save water?"

^.^

The coffee shop was nice, but like most things in Grovesdale, it was small. Small staff, small shop, hell, Kurt thought that even the cups were small.

"Is it just me, or does Sandy remind you of-" Blaine started

"Rachel? Yeah. Definitely." he laughed, blowing the surface of his coffee.

"These kids have real character...I can't wait to get into lessons a bit more."

Kurt grinned, loving the fact that his partner was so into the concept of teaching. "I'm going to have so much trouble remembering their names..."

"At least we've only got one class. It'd be worse being...say Sam - he's got the whole school to memorize."

Kurt laughed, taking a sip of his coffee. "True. How many people signed up for solos?"

Blaine rumaged in his bag for the blue sheet of paper, producing it with a grin. "Seven, so far."

"What do you mean, so far?"

"Well...I assume more people are going to turn up? The class is still open for the rest of this week."

"Oh, right. I remember." he laughed, sipping his coffee again. "What about dancers and back-up?"

"Nine dancers, and three back-ups." Blaine laughed. "I was so surprised when people signed up for the back-up parts. I thought they knew we were joking."

Kurt shrugged. "Oh well...we'll figure it out."

Blaine nodded and continued drinking his coffee, chewing at his donuts. "Those triplets have all signed up to be dancers, and one of them wants to be a soloist as well."

"We're gonna have an amazing routine..." Kurt laughed, finishing his coffee and continuing onto his cookies. He glanced at his watch, but it was only seven-thirty - the shops didn't even open until eight. They had time to relax.

They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence. Kurt was thinking about the class. He heard some of them singing, some voices standing out in the crowd while they danced to the radio. It was hard to determine their ranges and pitch levels, but there was definitely talent there.

Blaine's mind was on other things - he knew Kurt hated the apartment, and he wanted to do something for it that would make it more appealing. It's not like he could buy a new apartment - for the next couple of months they would be paying off their debts to their college.

He couldn't go to his parents, and there was no way he hell he would go to Burt and Carole. He'd often thought about going to their friends, but then again, he hadn't really stayed in close contact with them and he thought it'd be rude just asking for money anyway.

Besides, Blaine thought, they were adults now. They had to make-do with what they had until they could get somewhere else. It was about responsibilty and independence.

He hated it.

^.^

"Welcome to the second class of the Grovesdale High Glee Club!" Blaine greeted the kids, walking into the room.

Kurt was already there, lurking in the shadows, trying to find some sheet music he'd placed there earlier.

"Hey Sir!" voices called. "Hello Mr. Anderson" came the triplets.

"Oh, I see some new faces." Blaine grinned brightly. "Welcome to Glee club."

There were two newcomers - a boy and a girl, who nodded at Blaine.

"Can I get you all to move into the groups you put your names down for yesterday." Blaine pointed to spaces in the room. "Soloists over there, Dancers over there. If you put your name down for both Solos and Dancing, choose which one you want more right now. Back-ups into the other corner."

He turned to the two new students as they all started splitting up. "Pick a team - soloists, dancers or back ups."

When they both merged into the 'back-up' group, Blaine adressed the whole class.

"Okay, today we're going to give the soloists some sheet music, the dancers some choreography and the back-up's some cappella work to try. At the end, we'll put it all together and see what we come up with."

Kurt grinned knowingly, handing out the music.

"Raise Your Glass?" one of the soloists - Jack - asked, raising an eyebrow at the directors. "This was like...eight years ago..."

"And still totally awesome." Blaine frowned, still passing out the music. "Mr. Hummel and I did this same routine when we were in high school and..." he trailed off.

"And?"

"Well...we lost our competition, but that's not the point."

The Glee Clubbers hid behind sniggering laughs, and even Kurt had to suppress a grin. "Nice going." he muttered to Blaine. "Real confidence boost."

Blaine shook his head with a grin. "Fine. Whatever."

He headed to the Soloists and the Back-Ups, while Kurt took the Dancers.

Instead of one person getting the solo, Kurt and Blaine had divied up the verses and lines to each soloist. Blaine had taught the 'solo dance' - a variation of the proper dance, teaching the same thing as the back-up people.

It only took an hour - most of them already had had some training of some sort, and by four thirty, they were ready to rehearse as a group.

"Three, two one!"

The familiar sounds of 'jenga, jenga, jenga' accompanied by the first line of 'Raise Your Glass' sent Kurt and Blaine back in time, making them grin. The dancing was rather dodgy, and some lines were pitched and timed wrong, but by the end of the performance, each student was grinning and breathing heavily.

"Fan...tastic." Kurt muttered, staring at them in awe.

"For a first performance, that was stunning." Blaine praised them, and they broke apart, returning to their seats, chatting with each other. Blaine and Kurt let them, letting them come down from the high of their first performance together.

"Hey...Mr. A, you think you could bring in your performance? Like, on DVD? You said you did it for a competition, right - it should've been recorded?"

Blaine looked over at Kurt with a grin. "I'm sure we could arrange something like that."

Kurt grinned slightly. He remembered McKinley and even Dalton having classes where the kids just wouldn't listen to their teachers - they had no interest in learning and they overall didn't want to be there.

He forgot that this was an extra-ciriculum class, that they didn't _have _to be here.

They _wanted _to be here.

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><p><em><strong>AN: Teehee**_. _**I really wanted to have the students to have their own backgrounds and storylines, but there are so many of them...you're just going to have to learn about them through Klaine's interactions with them...because they all have their own storylines because I love them so much. XD. Show Choir names are appreciated - I'm putting all the suggestions into a box and drawing it at the end of the week...**_


	4. Staff Babies

**_A/N: Ugh. This is going to be my last update for a couple of days - I gotta fly out to some other state for another funeral, because everyone around me keeps dying. I kinda wish they would stop. Anyway, I'm blessing you all with another chapter before I leave. Thanks for all the amazing reviews! This class is actually based on my real life Drama Extension class :D_**

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><p>"So boys, you've survived the first week alright?" Sam Noble asked, sitting with them at the common staffroom.<p>

Blaine laughed. "The week isn't out yet Sam. We've still got this afternoon's class to tackle."

"But you guys are having fun, right?" said the Math A teacher, Ronald Calvin.

"Oh definitely. I love watching them perform - how proud they get when something goes right." Kurt spoke for the both of them.

"Then you're definitely teacher material." The Drama teacher, Tom Thayer, grinned.

Blaine and Kurt grinned at each other. They'd been welcomed with open arms by the other staff members, and had already made friends with quite a number of them.

"If you guys have any problems with any of the kids, just come to us...I know that one of your boys - Liam - is a bit of a trouble maker..." Elliot McAdams, one of the P.E teachers spoke up.

"Liam Metro?" Tom asked and Elliot nodded. "He's an angel in Drama."

"The Arts must speak to him." Joe Corby, the dance teacher, laughed, but Kurt thought he was being at least half-serious.

"Thanks guys, we really appreciate how amazing you have all been to us." Blaine spoke up.

"It's no problem."

"You guys are the babies on the staff - we don't want you guys to be scared off."

Kurt nodded and grinned as the end-of-lunch bell rang.

Several of the teachers gathered up their things and left, bidding the room goodbye.

"Hey...Sam." Blaine stood up, approaching the principal.

"Yeah?"

"Are there any school functions going on soon?"

Sam scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "In about a month, we have 'Grovesdale On Show' - an enrollment day where we showcase our school's talent."

"Are we able to get the Glee Club to perform there?"

Sam nodded. "Of course - I didn't think you'd be ready is all, or I would've asked."

Blaine grinned. "I'm sure we can whip something together."

^.^

It was halfway into the lesson, and they had acquired four new people.

"That brings us to twenty-four members." Kurt said proudly, and Blaine smiled fondly at him.

"I brought the tape from Regionals, so we can watch that if you're all interested." the class nodded eagerly and Kurt dimmed the lights.

"You're going to have to sit through the mushiness of 'Candles', I'm sorry." Kurt grinned as Blaine set up the player. "We did a medley."

The club settled back and watched as the Warblers filled the air - the speakers were truely amazing and the building was acoustically blessed.

"This is you guys?" Sandy asked in awe, looking between Kurt and Blaine now, and them on the screen. They hadn't changed much, Kurt thought - he was a little bit thinner and his face wasn't so chubby, and Blaine had let his curls hang lose ever since he came to McKinley.

The two of them nodded, standing in the back, embarrassed by seeing themselves on camera. 'Candles' ended and it immediately changed to 'Raise Your Glass', which the club members 'whooped' at. By the time the performance finished, Kurt and Blaine were staring up at the ceiling awkwardly, being awarded with applause by all except one student.

"Um..what?" Terance asked. He was one of the newcomers.

Blaine turned to him, turning off the DVD player. "What's wrong?"

"You...you guys are gay?"

Both of them nodded and Terance cringed.

"That's..."

"Terance, shut up." Jack called, and a whole lot of other students agreed.

Blaine and Kurt glanced at each other worriedly, but Terance kept his mouth shut and the class calmed down.

"Alright then..." Blaine muttered, before heading back to the desk. "Sectionals is in three months. In one month, Grovesdale is going on show!"

There was a groan from the entire club, but Blaine just grinned. "Don't complain. Show days are fun."

"We'll be working on a group performance for the night, and we'll be showcasing the soloists during the day too." Kurt spoke up, which brightened their spirits slightly. "We know a lot of you have extra things to do on the day for your other subjects, so if you could get us a list of the times you need to be elsewhere so we can coorindate everything, that would be great."

"You'll also be able to choose your own songs for your solo - so choose wisely and we'll coach you if you need it. If you want to be a soloist on the day, come write your name down at the end of the lesson- we'll need the songs by the end of next week." Blaine grinned.

Being close to their age helped, Kurt mused. It made them more comfortable - it was easier to make jokes with them and relate to them.

Blaine glanced at the clock - it was almost five.

"Tuesdays lesson will be based around singing - Wednesday's lesson will be based on dancing, and Thursday we'll be focusing on your stage presence. You guys can feel free to go."

Terance gave the pair a dark look as he left the room, and Blaine glanced over at Kurt worriedly.

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><p><strong><em>AN: Stupid Terance. Sorry if there is any spelling mistakes/grammar fail - I didn't really have time to edit and I needed to get it out. If there's something wrong in there, please point it out and I'll correct it as soon as I get back. Thanks guys, your reviews are love!_**


	5. Religious Views

_**A/N: Omg an update? It's not Tuesday yet? Eh. I found some fun internet cafe and am happily using it - good think I brought my USB with me!**_

_**This chapter took an abundance of effort, trying to research stuff etc. If I've gotten anything wrong, I apologize in advance, and also I'd like to point out that I've only highlighted one point of view here - I'm not being stereotypical or anything. No offense is meant.**_

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><p>Blaine woke up in Kurt's arms this time, but this time he wasn't waking happily. His phone blared at him from the bedside table, and he groaned. Kurt moaned and rolled over, pulling the covers over his head.<p>

It was Friday - their first day off - and they just wanted to sleep. Even though they only had three classes, it had wiped them out. Blaine groaned and rolled off the bed, sleepily finding his phone and answering it.

"Mmhm?" he mumbled.

_"Blaine. We need you and Kurt to come to school this morning. Now, in fact."_

Blaine blinked stupidly. "I'm sorry, who is this?"

_"Karen Wyber."_

Blaine put a hand to his forehead in confusion. "Oh, the Deputy?"

_"Yeah, that's me. Sorry we haven't been properly introduced, but we need you at the school."_

Blaine mumbled something under his breath. "Uhm. Okay. We'll be there...soon."

_"Thank you, just come to A block and talk to Mrs. Dargusch."_

"Alright, see you then."

She hung up and Blaine sighed, glancing over at Kurt who was glaring at him from under the pillow. "What?"

"We've got court summons at the school. Sounds serious."

Kurt retreated under the pillow again and Blaine smiled slightly. "Go shower, I'll make you a coffee."

^.^

Blaine approached the desk, pulling a still sleepy Kurt behind him.

"Uhm. Mrs. Dargusch?" he asked a little feebly, and a woman put her head up.

"Yes?"

"We were called by Karen..."

"Oh, Blaine and Kurt?" he nodded "Right through to the end of this hallway - her office is at the end."

"Thank you so much." he said, pulling Kurt down the hall with him.

Blaine knocked, opening it when he heard 'Come in'. Karen stood near her desk, opposite to two older people and Terance.

"Hi." Blaine said a little awkwardly, and Karen ushered them in.

"This is Margarette and William - Terance's parents." Blaine extended his hand to shake, but William just shook his head.

"Uhm...Take a seat," Karen motioned to the second couch and Blaine sat, pulling Kurt, who was now very much awake, down with him. "Now...we're sorry to have to...well, to bring this up..."

Blaine frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. Margarette and William were practically glaring.

"So...what's this about?" Blaine started, glancing at Karen.

"You're gay." Margarette stated plainly. It wasn't a question.

"Yes Ma'am." Blaine said anyway. _Oh._

William stood up with a glare, but Kurt matched his expression evenly. "Is there a problem with that?"

Margarette swallowed hard - it was as if she didn't expect retaliation. "Well...yes?"

Blaine raised an eyebrow and glanced at Karen, who was watching calmly. She nodded at them slightly - a subtle prompt to continue.

"Why?" Blaine asked.

"We're Christians." William stated plainly.

"Leviticus, 20:13 states that if a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." Terance spoke up, looking almost proud.

Blaine swallowed hard again, biting his lower lip. "I hate to say this...but...so?" Blaine stood up. "What does this have to do with anything?"

William looked baffled, as if Blaine was stupid. "You shouldn't be teaching here."

Kurt frowned. "And why not?"

"You're gay!" Margarette repeated.

Blaine shook his head. "If you have a problem with us teaching your son, then tell him he can't come to Glee club anymore. There are anti-discrimination laws in place now - you can't tell us to leave. Hell, we can sue you if you try."

This silenced William and Margarette, making Blaine sigh.

"Look, we're professionals. We teach together, it's not like we spend the lesson making out and telling everyone that they should be gay. We don't work like that - we never will." Blaine gave another huge sigh. "Yes, we are gay, and we understand that people have a problem with it, but if Terance likes performing, maybe you could...forget, or ignore it for two hours, three times a week, so that Terance could do something that he loves...unless Terance is too uncomfortable with it."

Blaine took a breath, and Kurt gave his hand a subtle squeeze.

William and Margarette glanced at each other, then looked at Terance. He was silent, contemplating Blaine's words.

"We...apologize, but we're not comfortable with...with you, teaching our son." Blaine nodded. He was used to it.

"If you ever change your mind, the Glee club will always be open to new members..." Kurt commented.

William and Margarette nodded, thoughtful frowns on their faces.

"Thank you for coming in." Karen addressed and couple as they stood up.

When they left the room, Blaine collapsed against the couch. "Holy crap..."

Karen laughed. "You handled yourselves well."

"You didn't think to step in?" Kurt asked. His heart was thudding somewhere in his stomach.

Karen laughed again. "I was going to, but you were doing such a good job on your own."

She was a nice woman - in her thirties, at least, with enough make-up on to run a cosmetics store. It was doing nothing for her.

"Well thanks..."

"You would've won anyway, no matter what argument they had."

Kurt laughed. "One of the joys of living in this era."

"Anyway, sorry for ruining your morning - I would've handled them myself but they insisted on talking to you directly. Turns out they didn't have much to say anyway."

Blaine smiled and shook his head. "That's alright. It's going to be one of the joys of teaching..." he grinned at Kurt. "The parents."

Karen stood up. "Sometimes it's not the parents you need to deal with - it's the kids."

"Who is this Terance, anyway?"

Karen sighed. "He's a good kid, mostly. He doesn't swear, or have parties, or have girlfriends. His whole family is extremely religious, and he was brought up in a private school - the only reason he comes here now is because his family can't afford it."

Blaine frowned a little. "How do you know so much about him?"

"You hear things - when the kids talk..."

"The kids talk about him?"

"Of course. He's different...he's a prime target for bullying."

"And you let it go on?"

Karen sighed. "Nobody wants kids getting bullied...but you both are gay, you must've been picked on while you were growing up?"

Both of them nodded.

"And did anyone do anything about it? Besides your parents and friends?"

Blaine shook his head, and Kurt glanced at his hands. "Not really..."

"It's not because nobody cared. It's because they couldn't do anything. You can tell kids not to do something while they're young - because they're influenced by you more. As teenagers, they've already had a couple of years of doing what they want." she looked at the ground. "You can't catch them anymore. If someone gets shoved against a locker it's only because we're not around."

Kurt and Blaine stared at their hands. It was like she was telling their past to them.

"You guys got beaten up and threatened as kids, right?"

They both nodded.

"What'd you do?"

They glanced at each other, before Kurt responded. "We ran away."

Karen nodded as if she expected the answer. "We're here to comfort those who feel the need to run. We have two guidance counselors here - Nathan and Danielle. Terance talks to Nathan quite a bit, and a lot of the other kids do too. If nothing can be done about the bullying, then talking to the counselors help them. Did you boys talk to the counselor at your schools?"

Kurt frowned. "Not really. I...I don't think our counselor was all there, mentally."

"Mrs. Pillsbury was awesome!" Blaine argued, grinning.

"Ugh...everything between her and me was a bit awkward after I threw up on her shoes."

Blaine laughed, then turned back to Karen. "I got beat up, and I turned to my counselor. She told me that everything would be okay, eventually. I was beaten to a pulp a couple of times after that before I realized things wouldn't get better on it's own, so I changed schools."

Karen nodded. "The kids at Grovesdale are a lot different. They...don't take things further than name-calling or shoving - we've only been able to catch it a few times when it happens. They're good like that. So far." she frowned a bit. "Sometimes there are rivals between two friends - we've had to break up some punch-ups, but they've never had anything to do with bullying or teasing."

Kurt shook his head sadly. "There must be a way to help them..."

Karen shook her head. "If there was, it would've already been done."

Kurt looked over at Blaine. "At Dalton...there was a zero-tolerance policy. That seemed to work."

Blaine laughed. "Kurt, Dalton isn't like Grovesdale at all. We were all boys - and us borders spent almost every minute of our days with each other. We were all friends - there was no need for the zero-tolerance because it wasn't happening in the first place."

Karen nodded. "It's about the children and about circumstance. Zero-tolerance would only work if we could constantly monitor the kids."

Kurt nodded, rubbing his face with his palm. "One day...kids won't have to be insecure about themselves...they won't have to talk to counselors."

Blaine stroked his shoulder gently, and Karen watched sympathetically as the first bell went. Karen sighed. "That's my cue to get back to work. See you guys next week?"

Both of them nodded and Blaine helped Kurt to his feet.

Kurt couldn't get his mind of Terance, and the other kids. He wondered how many of them had problems - how many of his students had to see the counselor.

Grovesdale was definitely different to McKinley, but the same problems still existed.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Can't decide whether I love or hate Terance yet. **_


	6. Reunion Proposals

_**A/N: Hit a writers block, trying to write the 7th chapter, so hopefully your lovely reviews will help me power through it. **_

* * *

><p>Sunday came as a surprise for the couple. They were searching for part-time jobs - something to rake in a little extra saving money when they both got a text.<p>

_Hey New Directions!_

_How is everyone? Good, I hope. I have no idea where any of you are, but I'm lonely and need some company. Is anyone up for a ND reunion? Well, I am. I know some of you are in other countries and states and most of you left Lima, but I'm sure you could all find a way to get here for next weekend on Saturday? Text me back if you're coming! It'll be at the little coffee club near McKinley high! Could you guys pass this on to the others, in case they've changed their numbers or something? Thanks! _

_~Brittany~_

They both read the message with grins on their faces.

"We going to that?" Blaine asked, pocketing his phone.

"Of course!" Kurt scoffed, grinning widely. "It's gonna be awesome...I hope everyone can make it..."

"We'll have to drive up Friday morning...get there Friday night...we'll book a hotel or something and then return on Monday and be back for Glee club on Tuesday."

Kurt nodded eagerly - it was a few hours to drive, but it would be worth it. He quickly texted Brittany to let her know that they were both coming.

"So..." Blaine grinned, leaning against the counter. "What do you want to do today?"

Kurt grinned back, giving him a quick kiss. "I dunno. Anything."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Well, we could start choreographing some dances."

Kurt nodded with a cheeky smirk. "You mean, I'll choreograph the dances and you'll follow along."

Blaine poked him playfully in the chest. "Hey, I didn't study the arts for nothing!"

Kurt grinned and they stood in the cramped living room, music blaring. They both took turns, brainstorming, arguing, agreeing and laughing until they'd got everything _just _right.

^.^

On Monday, they finally found extra jobs - at a large shopping center, but in different shops.

"I swore to myself I'd never work in retail..." Kurt muttered when he got the email.

Blaine laughed. "At least you'll know what you're talking about."

"So will you - you get to sit at a desk and sell video games all day."

Blaine grinned. "Yeah..."

"When's your first shift?"

Blaine glared at his roster. "Tomorrow morning, from about eight until two."

Kurt nodded. They had both talked to their bosses about roster times and not being able to work on Wednesdays, and Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

"When's yours?"

"Nine until one."

"Lucky." Blaine grinned, pecking him on the cheek.

Kurt's phone buzzed loudly and he took it from his pocket, glancing at it. His eyes widened and he answered the call.

"Rachel!"

"_Kurt, oh god you have no idea how great it is to hear your voice!"_

Kurt chucked the phone on loudspeaker.

"Hey Rachel!" Blaine called and there was an excited squeal from her end.

"_You guys stayed together? That's so awesome!"_

"Yeah, we definitely did. What happened to you? Did you get onto Broadway?"

There was a sad laugh. _"Kinda."_

Kurt's eyes widened. "Congratulations! But…what do you mean, kinda?"

"_I'm a townsperson. I don't even have lines."_

Blaine pulled the phone closer to him. "That's still amazing. Thousands of people still see you, even if you're not talking. This is just the beginning Rachel – you'll be there one day with the big names!"

"_Kurt, you're such a lucky guy. Sure you're not able to trade Blaine?"_

Kurt grinned over at his boyfriend. "Positive."

"_So what are you boys doing now? And are you going to the reunion?"_

"We're teaching a glee club, and yeah, we're definitely going. Are you?"

"_Yeah, I'll be there, but I got our final show on Friday night so I'll be getting there late, probably. How long have you been teaching for?"_

"Just a week."

"_Wow. Enjoying yourselves?"_

Blaine went to the kitchen, fixing a drink while Kurt continued to talk. "Yeah, so far. Are you?"

"_Of course I am. I may bitch and moan a bit, but I'm a diva, it's my job!"_

Kurt grinned. "Oh Rachel, you haven't changed since high school." He thought of Sandy and had to stifle a laugh.

"_Thanks…I think? Anyway, I did have another reason for calling you – have you been in contact with anyone else since we all left?"_

Kurt looked over at Blaine, who pulled at his shirt as if he was wearing a jacket. Kurt raised an eyebrow before Blaine sighed, and pressed the curls on his head down.

"Oh! Nobody except for some of the Warblers…" Kurt grinned.

"_Oh, but nobody from McKinley?"_

"Nope."

"_Wow…it's going to be weird seeing everyone then…"_

"Yeah..."

"_Look, it was awesome talking to you guys again – can't wait to see you on Saturday. I gotta go, bye!"_

"Bye!" Kurt called, and Blaine shouted the same thing from the kitchen.

Kurt hung up, laughing. "That was weird…"

"I can't imagine how Saturday is going to be…"

"Awkward, most likely. I'm so glad we're going together."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: YAY! Reunion! Ugh, like I said, reviews are love and I need them to keep writing..._**


	7. When I Get You Alone

_**A/N: Ugh. The weekend before Block Exams. So sorry for the delay in updates, as soon as the Block Exams are over, I'll be updating quick! I just haven't had time to type it all out - but it's been written! Ooh, I love it :D**_

* * *

><p>"Mr. H! Where's Mr. A?" Lachlan called, stepping into the room.<p>

Kurt looked up from his papers – he hadn't even heard the bell go.

"Oh…he's…not here yet?" Kurt looked around, slightly lost. "Must be running late."

Lachlan just raised his eyebrows as students came into the classroom behind him. Kurt noticed that Terance wasn't among them. He wasn't surprised. Not really.

Kurt let five minutes pass, letting the students chat and giving more time for Blaine to get there before calling them to attention.

"Okay, Mr. Anderson isn't here, so we're going to have to start without him." Kurt stood in front of 23 students, and he was freaking out inside. They all seemed to stare at him. With Blaine, he felt safe, but they…were all there, their gazes undivided.

"Um…" He faltered, cringing internally. He took a deep breath. What had gotten over him? He had performed in front of so many more people…but then again, it was different. He wasn't himself when he was performing…and these were people he'd probably have to see again. He took another deep breath. He could do this. "Today's lesson will be about singing."

How did it come so easy for Blaine? He glanced at the doorway, a silent plea for his boyfriend to get there.

And it worked.

Kurt let out a giant sigh of relief as Blaine strolled in, looking slightly panicked.

"Sorry guys…the traffic was being slow." He apologized, flashing the class an easy grin. Kurt swore he saw one of the girls – Lily, he thought – actually swoon in her seat. He frowned.

"Take it away Blaine…we hadn't really started."

Blaine dropped his gear and nodded. "Alright. Today we're going to look at your individual voices and the way you sing. Singing…it's about…living, and expressing everything though your words - through the sound you're creating."

Kurt watched in awe as the words flowed so seamlessly from his mouth. He stopped to think while he was talking – you could practically see the cogs ticking over.

"For example, take the line 'When I Get You Alone,'" Kurt grinned. It was _still _Blaine's favourite song. "You could sing it in a normal voice, without expression."

He did so, and it wasn't very impressive.

"Or you could put every feeling, every emotion that you have into this one line…"

He winked at Kurt before addressing the class, belting out the line exactly the way he described. Yep. Lily had a crush on Blaine. Her face went slightly red and she had to look away. Kurt smirked. Blaine watched their impressed faces with a grin.

"Emotion, expression and inflections will all play an important part in your singing – learn to trust your voice and put everything into your performances. Nobody will ridicule you for being passionate – hell, people will love you for it. But don't get silly. Don't _try _to feel it. Just…do."

The class was so attentive. It impressed and slightly scared Kurt. He expected to have to call them on to stop talking, or to pay attention, but they seemed to love listening to Blaine, and he didn't mind the attention.

Blaine paused for a second, glancing around at the group.

"Now, I've got a small assignment for you all." There was a playful groan, but Blaine could tell they didn't _really _mind. "I want all of you, whether you're a singer, dancer or even back-up, to find a song that _really _speaks to you. Go to iTunes, hit the sidebar that counts how many times you've played the songs, find the most played and bring the backing track in."

"For these assignments, we're not going to coach you. We'll only help you if you ask…" Kurt interjected and the class nodded.

"Every Wednesday we'll be here at school from eight until six, so if you need coaching practise, come see us in the mornings, afternoons or during lunch." Blaine grinned. "If I give you assignments on a Tuesday, they'll be due on the Friday."

The class seemed to accept this without complaint.

Kurt turned to some sheet music he had gathered, handing it around. "Today we're going to try for a slightly challenging song. It's important to convey the real meaning behind this song with just the words. I want you to close your eyes and sing, and feel the music."

Kurt grinned, starting up the music.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Har har. Such an inspiring and thought-provoked chapter XD Sorry guys. I'll be back after this week - I have 4 Exams and haven't really studied...**_


	8. Dancing

_**A/N: Mm, sorry for the late updates. Block exams were a bitch, and I got lost in the bush on the weekend. Scary shit right there. I'm back now and on holidays, so hopefully I'll get some uploads in. Sadly though, I seem to write more DURING school -.-.**_

* * *

><p>"Dancing doesn't have to be done extremely well at performances."<p>

"That's for sure." Kurt coughed and Blaine shot him a glare before continuing.

"Confidence is key!"

"What?" Cooper muttered.

Blaine looked at the blank faces, turning to Kurt. "Have you got a better way to explain it?"

"Um…" Kurt thought for a second. "Okay, say you're dancing and you find yourself doing the wrong move…"

"PANIC!" The triplets hissed simultaneously, before bursting into quiet laughter.

Kurt smiled, ignoring them. They occasionally had inside jokes, and as long as they kept them quiet, Kurt and Blaine allowed them to be said.

"So you're doing the wrong move but you have so much energy – when you realise you've done it wrong, where does that energy it go? Well, this is what normally happens. You'll go slack as that energy fades, your face might go red and your movements will be half-hearted and generally slower because you're dwelling on the fact that you failed. That is what you definitely _can't _do." Kurt said, drawing on personal experiences.

"We don't care if you forget, or if you stuff up. What's important is that you love what you're doing." Blaine inputted.

There were a few hesitant nods, and Kurt and Blaine let out a simultaneous sigh.

"Dance, and don't worry about screwing it up. The only thing we're asking for, and the only thing we can ever ask for is you guys having fun." Blaine pulled that right out from a speech Wes had given the Warblers at Blaine's first performance.

There were some more confident nods and Kurt grinned.

"We've got some special guests coming next Tuesday." He said and the class perked up slightly. Kurt wandered to the 'Hall of Fame' that he and Blaine had rigged up. It held the group photos of the 'New Directions', 'Warblers' and 'Vocal Adrenaline' – each team holding significant meaning to the boys. Kurt pointed to Nick, Jeff and Wes. "These guys are going to join us for the lesson, giving you some hints and tips."

"Will they perform?" Sandy wanted to know.

Kurt nodded with a grin. "They've got a boy band together with some of the other Warblers, but only those three can make it."

There were several grins as Blaine got up.

"Now, we've got some teaching to do – everyone on your feet!"

^.^

Kurt collapsed on the couch in their apartment.

"Oy…" he muttered as Blaine followed him in.

"You can say that again…" Blaine yawned.

"Can you text the boys and find out when they'll be here?"

"They're spending Monday night here – I told them we might be late getting home. Are you working Tuesday?"

Kurt scrunched up his face, nodding. "Yeah, until two."

"Bummer."

They were both silent for a bit, before Kurt smirked.

"Lily likes you."

"What?"

"Lily has a girl-crush on you."

Blaine thought for a moment. "Which one is Lily?"

"Uhm…she was wearing pigtails today. Black hair, blue streaks. Sweet girl who's trying too hard to look like a rebel. It's really not her personality type and the eye-shadow looks hideous."

Blaine was grinning, a little dumb-founded. "Oh. Wow. Uhm…her. That's…flattering…I think…"

Kurt grinned. "She swoons every time you smile."

"Don't make fun of her – you did the exact same when we first met." Blaine poked him in the stomach playfully.

"You won't run off with the pretty fifteen year old, right?" Kurt grinned.

"Right." Blaine grinned. "But I want to know why you're such a stalker to actually know their ages, not to mention exactly what they looked like today…"

Kurt laughed loudly. "Oh Blaine, honey, when you love your students as much as I do, you'll learn to be more observant."

Blaine raised an eyebrow and Kurt shrugged.

"What Karen said…about hearing things. I decided to listen to them before class. Lily's only a sophomore." He said, grinning smugly.

Blaine just laughed, kissing him on the cheek gently. "You're far too observant."

"And proud of it."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Short chapter, but I've got another in the works and such. I'm also toying with the problem 'how many times can I ridicule Blaine's dancing before it gets old' - I think it's overstayed it's welcome.**_

_**Also - 85 days until Glee Season 3. And 45 Days until Glee Live Tour 3D hits the cinemas. **_


	9. Tutors

_**A/N: And so like, this chapter took forever. :P I shall try harder to update sooner...I don't have a lot of time, and I'm behind on chapters. I normally get like, 4 or 5 chapters ahead, but I'm still stuck on the next chapter...so maybe give me a week to get back in order and then I'll update more :)**_

_**I also received an amazing review from an Anon - NumNums, and I'd just like to say thank you very much but I don't deserve that much praise :) I'm still learning and I do have a long way to go until I get to the standard that you're praising me to. But still, I was practically glowing when you sent it and it made me feel really awesome, so thanks very very much.  
><strong>_

* * *

><p>"I think I'm going to quit."<p>

Kurt's eyes widened, dropping the piece of toast that was halfway to his lips. "What?"

"It's too much right now…I can't handle two jobs."

Kurt stood up, his eyes furrowed in confusion. "I thought you liked teaching…"

Blaine looked confused for a second before he laughed. "Oh Kurt…I meant the video game store job. I love teaching…"

Kurt let out a relieved laugh. "Oh. Sorry."

Blaine shook his head, laughing slightly. "I'll send in my resignation tonight, after Glee Club."

Kurt nodded happily, picking up his toast. "I hate retail, but we really need the money."

Blaine shrugged. "Maybe we don't…"

Kurt looked at him, his eyebrows raised as he chewed his toast. "What do you mean?"

"Well…we'll probably be teaching for a while…and so we'll get the money that way. Then, when all our kids have moved on, so can we. We'll have enough to go to New York…"

Kurt frowned slightly.

"New York is a long-term goal for us. It's in a distance – something we can strive towards. This – teaching – is our present – our current goal. So we should focus on teaching, which will eventually help us towards our long-term goal…"

Kurt nodded. "Yeah. You make sense."

Blaine smiled. "Always."

Kurt rolled his eyes with a playful grin. "I probably won't quit though. Not yet – the money I earn at the shop will go towards our savings while the salary can go towards living expenses."

Blaine nodded, glancing over at the clock.

"Oh shit! Come on!" Kurt practically inhaled the rest of his coffee, hurrying behind Blaine to the car with a grin.

"What's our agenda today?"

Blaine scratched the side of his head, starting the car. "Um…stage presence, I believe. I'm going to teach them about the sultry looks and knee bending,"

Kurt laughed. "Because you're such an expert. You do know that stage presence has more to do than looks and…knee bending…right?"

Blaine laughed. "Of course – I just assumed you'd teach them all that stuff."

Kurt nodded with a chuckle. "I see how it is."

Blaine just grinned, driving to the school as Kurt commandeered the iPod.

It was just after seven – they had time to get there early in case some of the kids wanted vocal coaching for their assignments. They'd already warned them in advance that they'd be there all day.

"We've survived two weeks here…I'm so proud." Kurt wiped an imaginary tear away and Blaine laughed, pulling up at the school.

"You know, it's probably going to go from surviving, to enduring."

Kurt laughed loudly, getting out of the car. "I don't think I could ever hate this job. It's so cool."

Blaine smiled fondly and headed towards N Block. They entered the staffroom, greeting the other Performing Arts teachers before settling at their respective desks. No more than fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Kurt and Blaine turned simultaneously.

Lily stood at the door, looking so expectantly at Blaine that Kurt had to stifle a laugh.

"Oh dear…" Blaine muttered, waving at Lily and getting up.

"You should take this one. I think Dakota said something about coming in as well."

Blaine shot Kurt a smouldering look before opening the door. "Hey Lily, you need some help?"

"Yes please," she smiled sweetly at Blaine and he sighed slightly.

"Alright, we can use NG03, right?" he asked, turning back to Kurt.

"Of course." Kurt just grinned as Dakota turned up. "We'll go into NG02."

Kurt got up and headed to NG02, wishing Blaine luck before leading Dakota in.

"Alright, what do you need help with?"

Dakota looked troubled. "Everything?"

Kurt smiled slightly. "Let's start with the song you picked. What is it?"

Dakota sighed, handing Kurt the CD. "Price Tag."

"By Jessie J?" Kurt asked, taking the CD. "That's an old one."

She nodded. "I just really like it."

Kurt nodded, grinning. "That's what this was about." He put the CD in and the music started – it was the backing track. "Good…now what problems are you having with it?"

"I…I don't know. It doesn't sound right…and I hate singing. Well, not hate, but you know what I mean. I signed up to be a dancer, not a singer."

Kurt bit his lower lip, listening to her.

"Hmm…do you think you can sing?"

"Not like Sandy or Jack…"

"That's not what I asked. Do you think you can sing?"

Dakota sighed heavily. "I don't know. I used to think so, until I heard the others."

Kurt nodded. "If you think you sounded good, then you did. People all sing differently. I'm a counter-tenor, Blaine is a tenor…we have friends who are mezzo-sopranos, pop sopranos and tenor-baritones…I could go on but I'd bore you. The point is…just because I can hit higher notes than Blaine can, doesn't mean I'm a better singer. I'm a _different_ singer, and so are you."

Dakota actually looked impressed with his speech. "Yeah, but you haven't heard me sing yet."

Kurt laughed slightly. "Then why don't you sing for me?"

He restarted the song and Dakota took a deep breath and started to sing. The track she had chosen was an acoustic guitar piece, a little bit slower than the original. Her voice was sweet and lovely to listen to and the passion that went into the song made Kurt smile. She'd definitely been listening to what Blaine had been teaching.

The music cut after the second chorus, and she looked embarrassed.

"That was pretty awesome." Kurt said softly.

"Oh God, it sucked didn't it?" she muttered.

Kurt laughed. "Of course not. It was really good, I just have one thing to say though."

She nodded, biting her lower lip, awaiting the criticism.

"In the first verse, and a couple of times after that, you seem to forget how to breathe. Can you sing the first verse for me?"

"_Got your shades on your eyes and your heels so high that you can't…" _

Kurt held up his hand to stop her and she released a giant breath that had been compressed.

"Alright, I want you to use all your air for every single line. Don't hold back. Um…take a giant breath after mysterious and put everything into that line…then take another huge breath after…um, good, so you have enough air for 'time'" Kurt sung the lines to her then nodded for her to go again.

She did, grinning slightly until she took her breath and held it too long. Kurt just smiled and prompted her to try again. Eventually she got it, and Kurt beamed, clapping.

"Okay, now try the whole song with the backing and remember everything I've said."

Dakota nodded and tried the song again – her notes coming out cleaner and louder, sweeter and with more meaning.

^.^

Kurt strode out of NG02 with a giant grin. Second break had just ended and he'd finished up coaching one of the freshmen – Sophie – who was having trouble hitting notes. Kurt had transposed the entire song down for her and she thanked him endlessly when he helped her figure out her range.

Blaine was in the staffroom, his head on his arms. Kurt walked in, his eyebrows raised.

"Hey."

Blaine looked up, turning to greet Kurt. "Hey…"

"You okay?"

Blaine nodded and yawned slightly. "Long day. Lily came back at first break because apparently she wasn't getting low enough or something. I don't even remember anymore – we did one run-through and she was perfect."

"Perfect?"

Blaine rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. There was nothing I can really do until her voice matures."

Kurt nodded. "You believe me?"

"Completely. She like…got all close at the piano and…" Blaine just shook his head, making Kurt frown.

"She didn't try anything, did she?"

"Oh god no! I just…understand what you saw and started over-analysing things."

Kurt nodded with a small smile. "We've only got the class this arvo and then we can get ready for the trip back to Lima…"

Blaine actually sighed. "I didn't think we'd ever end up there again…"

"You don't want to go?"

"Of course I do. We just…managed to get away because we didn't want to be stuck in that crummy place. And now we're going back to where we started."

"It isn't forever."

"I know…I'm just stressed…thinking the worst, you know?"

Kurt nodded in understanding, giving his boyfriend a small hug from behind. He glanced at the clock – they had an hour until last period finished and their Glee class would start.

"You want some coffee or something? There's a supermarket just behind the school…"

Blaine furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "Can I come with you?"

Kurt grinned, nodding and holding out his hand. Blaine took it, standing and following Kurt out of the staffroom.

"I'm really enjoying teaching, you know…" Kurt said softly, and Blaine looked over at him curiously. "I mean, like…I love the fact that I can help these kids…they look so happy when they hear themselves improving."

Blaine chuckled, stroking Kurt's hand gently with his thumb. They exited the school grounds through an opening in the large fence, heading out into the parking lot of the supermarket.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: I was going to go into the class and stuff, but I got tired of making up things to say on stage-presence. So that'll be next chapter. I think. Depends. AND THEN IT'S THE REUNION LIKE OMG.**_

_**And also, 83 days guys until Season 3.**_

_** (And I do have a HP counter too - that's 14 days... OMG MIDNIGHT SCREENING! :D)**_


	10. Staging and Movement

_**A/N: So like, I can't finish chapters very well.**_

_**Edit: Omg, I typed in Chris instead of Kurt. I've been writing too much RPF, obviously.  
><strong>_

* * *

><p>Blaine stood in front of the class with a grin – they'd just finished the individual performances, and Kurt found that the short sessions he'd had with Sophie and Dakota had vastly improved them, even in the short time. The others were good – especially those who had signed up to be soloists. Even the dancers were pretty good – they had a strong team. Kurt noted those he'd eventually have to work with, but he'd get to that closer to the competition.<p>

"Stage presence." Blaine neglected to look at Lily, rubbing his palms together.

Kurt stood in the back. He was happy to let Blaine teach the kids, occasionally stepping in with comments when he felt Blaine hadn't said enough.

"It's all about…being there. Not just going through the motions…"

One of the freshmen – Lachlan, leaned back with a smug smirk.

"You sound like you're repeating yourself."

Blaine was stumped for a second. "Uhm, well…I am, kind of…"

Kurt stepped forward, talking sharply. "Singing, dancing and stage presence all work in unison to create a spectacular performance. We'd be insane not to be repeating ourselves."

Lachlan looked a little stunned. "Right. Sorry."

Kurt smirked slightly, and Blaine chuckled, easing the tension slightly as the class let out an awkward laugh. Lachlan looked a little apprehensive, but Blaine powered on.

"Anyway, so like I said, you have to show that you want to be there to convince the audience that everything you're singing about is what you're feeling." Blaine paused for a second, trying to figure a way to back up what he was saying. "You know what I mean."

Kurt laughed a little. "Just show them Blaine."

Blaine shook his head. He was going to have to work on explaining things better. "Okay, so the most important thing when you're on stage is to stay grounded – so bent knees!"

Kurt smirked.

"You want to feel rooted to the ground," the triplets sniggered, along with a few of the other students at the word 'rooted', making Kurt roll his eyes playfully. "Get your movements big and natural – like you've been doing them all your life. OWN the stage, make every word and every movement worth it. This is YOUR stage, and you are what everyone wants to see."

Kurt smiled, stepping forward to try a different tactic. "Do any of you play an instrument that you can carry around easily, namely a guitar, or even percussion."

A few of them raised their hands.

"Okay, good. On Tuesday, can you bring your instruments in – not the percussion – we can get that – but your guitars and…I dunno, ukuleles or even violins, I guess. String instruments preferably, but nothing like a double bass or cello - has to be able to be carried easily."

"Why?" piped up Sharlotte, another freshman.

"Well…" Kurt turned to Blaine, who had picked up a guitar from the back of the room. He passed it to Kurt, before turning to the class and singing a few lines of 'Grenade', standing normally, his arms folded and not moving.

"You sure love the old songs…" Jack muttered from the back row, and Blaine grinned.

"Okay, so that was me, not doing anything but singing." He reached for the guitar, which Kurt passed over. Swinging the strap over his head, he placed his fingers on the neck, grinning, before bending his knees, walking around and singing at them.

It certainly made a difference.

A few of the students started nodding, understanding his words better.

"So if we could start a performance with a whole bunch of you walking on with all these different string instruments, it would look pretty awesome. Then we'd get the rest to come and jump on in front so you can ditch the instruments and come back on."

At that moment, the alarm for five went off and the students started to get up, grabbing their bags and calling goodbye as they left the room. Kurt and Blaine didn't bother to dismiss them – they never felt the need to, exchanging an excited grin.

"You guys look happy." Isabelle sauntered over. She was a senior who was very quiet, but intelligent and knowing beneath her heavy lashes.

Blaine grinned. He'd worked with Isabelle briefly for her solo. "Yeah, we're going to see our old friends this weekend."

Kurt started packing up as Sandy came over. "Are those the same friends from High School?" she asked.

Both boys nodded. "The New Directions?"

They nodded again, making Sandy grin. "That's exciting. Is anything exciting happening?"

Kurt shrugged. "I don't think so. We're going to get coffee and catch up."

"Sweet." Isabelle said softly, casting a look at both boys before waving slightly, heading out the door.

Sandy stuck around. "Do you guys want any help?"

Blaine lifted his guitar over his shoulder, turning the strap so it hung on his back. "I think we're okay Sandy…you should probably get home – it'll be dark soon."

Sandy took a glance to the windows, where the shadows slipped in from the darkening sky. She nodded once or twice, thanking them for the lesson before collecting her bag and slipping out silently.

Blaine stared after her for a second while Kurt finished up in the room, turning off the lights. "That was weird…"

"A little…but Blaine…we've got to go pack."

Kurt had exited the room, walking over to the staffroom.

They were the only ones left in the school, aside from the cleaners. He left the door to NG03 open, knowing the cleaners would be along in a second, and followed Kurt, frowning slightly.

"Isabelle and Sandy seem a little…"

"You can't compare them Blaine. They're so different." Kurt was retrieving his coffee mug and a few possessions he needed for the trip – namely his wallet and keys.

Blaine started to do the same. "Yeah but…I don't know. Clingy?"

"Oh…right." Kurt nodded. "I've notice that. Both of them tend to linger around us after lessons…"

Blaine nodded, glad he wasn't the only one who was noticing weird things about their students.

Simultaneously, their phones beeped.

_Hey guys! It's me again. Wanted to let you know we're meeting at BreadStix now, since we got such a positive response. Reservation is under 'ND', so feel free to go in as soon as you get there. We've scheduled it for Saturday at lunch, then maybe we could go to the park and back to mine for drinks? If you don't want to stay, that's fine – but my house is big enough to have you all here for the night if you choose to stay. See you all there _

_Xx Brit xX_

Blaine rose an eyebrow, pocketing his phone. "We were going to stay until Monday anyway…we could stay at Brit's to cut down the cost…and stay for drinks." He grinned and Kurt nodded.

"Sounds perfect."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Let me get this straight, because I am VERY confused (Being from Australia and all). So...Grades 1-6 are primary school. 7 and 8 are middle school, and 9-12 are high school?**_

_** If that's correct, then grade 12s = 18 (that year) and grade 9s = 15 (That year)?**_

_**Yes, no?**_

_**Meaning... **_

_**Grade 9 - Freshmen - 15**_

_**Grade 10 - Sophomores - 16**_

_**Grade 11 - Juniors - 17**_

_**Grade 12 - Seniors - 18?**_

_**Yes? Am I on the right track or did I screw it up completely?**_


	11. The Reunion

_**A/N: Honestly, I am so tired right now, I forgot which site I post this story on. I went to the HP midnight screening (met two amazing Stakids) and then had to go to school the same day. I was awake for 38 hours, then got 7 hours sleep, went to school and am completely dead on my feet right now. Then I thought that I should upload this because I've been working on it for AGES. Believe me, I'm going STRAIGHT to bed afterwards. **_

* * *

><p>Five hours was far too long to be stuck in a car.<p>

_Far_ too long.

The iPod had been charged – the petrol tank was full. They would drive for two and a half hours – get lunch and have a pit stop – then change drivers and go the rest of the way without stopping.

In theory.

But nothing ever worked like that.

They were up at eight, sleepily piling into the car.

"I think we need ice cream." Blaine announced, only half an hour into the trip.

Kurt glanced over at Blaine quickly with a smirk. "We just had breakfast."

"Yeah, but I _really _feel like a forty cent cone or something."

Kurt looked at the time. The traffic had been rough, and they hadn't gotten very far in the half an hour.

And then Blaine looked over at him with those eyes, looking up from under those long lashes and Kurt _had_ to say yes.

And also because he was really craving ice cream too, now that Blaine had mentioned it.

^.^

They'd stopped for lunch far later then they had planned, and they were only a few minutes away. Things started to become familiar – buildings were recognised and shops started to bring back fond memories.

"Oh…wow…" Kurt breathed. Blaine had pulled up in front of the school.

It was two forty-five – students would be coming out of school soon. Kurt glanced over at Blaine, who had his mouth open and his eyes wide.

"Can we…can we stay for a bit?" Kurt glanced back at the school. "Just until they…"

Blaine just nodded and parked the car, giving a small grin as the bell went. Hoards of students poured from the buildings, clad in their uniforms. The cheerios had gotten a uniform design adjustment, and Blaine swore that their skirts were at least an inch shorter. Maybe he was just getting old.

"Brings back memories." Kurt said softly, as a particularly large bunch of students in their football jersey's surged towards the parking lot.

Blaine took his hand gently, squeezing it reassuringly. Kurt smiled a bit, squeezing back. He glanced at the clock and smirked.

"Come on. We need to find Brittany's place." Blaine nodded, starting the car again.

"The address is in the glove box."

Kurt reached in, retrieving the paper and calling out directions. They were in a part of Lima Kurt didn't recognise. The houses were nicer – it felt friendlier. Finally they arrived in front of a two storied house.

"You sure this is it?" Blaine asked softly, looking up at the white palings and marble archways.

Kurt double-checked the address before nodding, in slight awe of the house. They got out in silence, admiring the surroundings. It was almost as if it was cut from a fairy-tale.

A white picketed fence surrounded the entire property, with a stepping stone pathway that lead to the house. The grass was immaculately kept, shining a brilliant green that seemed to blind you when you stared at it for too long. The front yard had a small fountain and what looked like a wishing well in the corner, with large trees that cast long shadows over the lawn.

Blaine and Kurt stepped their way to the front door, and Blaine didn't try to hide his grin. "It's very Brittany."

Kurt had to smile. Blaine was absolutely right. Blaine rang the doorbell and the two boys stood there awkwardly, waiting for a response. They heard light footsteps before the door was flung open, and Brittany stood there.

She hadn't changed much. She was still thin and lovely, but her hair was much shorter and a little darker. Her box cut had been swept into a side-fringe, but her bright smile still lit up her face when she saw them.

"Blaine! Kurt!" she giggled a little, launching herself at them and flinging her arms around both their shoulders.

The two boys let themselves be engulfed in her enthusiasm, hugging her back. "I wondered when you boys would get here! It's so good to see you!"

Kurt grinned and Blaine chuckled. "Good to see you too Brittany. You're looking good."

"Why thanks! You boys are looking handsome as ever!"

She had seemed to grow up somewhat, without ever losing the childish mirth beneath her features.

"Mike, Tina and Mercedes are already here," Brittany led them through her house, and Kurt's eyes lit up when he heard that Mercedes was there.

He hadn't been able to keep in touch with the diva and missed her. Blaine grinned, following them eagerly.

"This is where you'll all be staying – in the rumpus room. There should be enough beds set out, but if not I'll get some more." Brittany was full of life, hopping about eagerly, hugging Kurt and Blaine at least twice more before entering the room.

Mercedes hadn't changed much. She was slightly thinner, but her sass and bubbly smile hadn't faded. Her face broke into a wide smile when she saw Kurt, rushing up to him and engulfing him in a massive hug.

"Oh Kurt, I missed you so much!"

"Mercedes…it's so good to see you!"

Mike approached Blaine with a friendly grin. "Hey man."

"You got even taller." Blaine commented, looking up at Mike and chuckling.

He turned and spied Tina on the phone, looking stressed. Mike approached her, taking her hand, but she swatted him away.

"Uh-huh. Yes. Yes. _Yes!_ Okay. Thanks Mum. Be careful with him, I'll be back in two days, okay?"

"What's going on?" Mike asked, a confused and concerned frowned etched on his face as Tina hung up.

Tina shook her head with a huff. "Paris is over-reacting. She thought Grayson had a fever."

Blaine looked confused. "Paris? Grayson?"

Brittany laughed. "We obviously have a lot of catching up to do." She exclaimed, but Mercedes shook her head, despite the fact that Tina looked just about ready to burst with something she wanted to share.

"Rachel insisted that we didn't start familiarizing ourselves until she got here."

"How long will that be?" Kurt asked, his eyes bright.

Mercedes glanced at her watch. "Another hour, possibly?"

The doorbell rang again and more familiar faces started piling in – until everyone was standing in Brittany's rumpus room. Except for Rachel.

They stood awkwardly, exchanging glances through sips of their drinks. As far as Blaine could tell, Tina and Mike were married to each other, while Artie, Brittany and Puck were also wearing wedding rings.

Kurt stood with Blaine and Mercedes, grinning like a fool. Although the atmosphere was awkward, it was somewhat familiar and comforting. He shuffled over to his step-brother, feeling guilty.

"Hey Finn…" he smiled warmly and Finn grinned.

"Hey little bro. Long time no speak."

"Yeah…sorry about that…"

Finn chuckled. "No worries…we've all been a little busy. It's like…leaving high school make the clock spin extra fast. I swear I lost a couple of years somewhere in there."

Kurt laughed. "Yeah, me too."

"You talked to mom and dad lately?" Finn asked, sipping at his drink.

"No…not properly. I promised myself we'd stop in and say hello though."

Rachel appeared in the doorway with a wide grin and a couple of bags.

"Rachel!" Half the room greeted her and she squealed.

"Oh my god you guys!" She yelped, dropping her bags and heading into the room, gathering those standing nearby into a hug. "Group hug!"

Kurt and Blaine looked on with an amused grin, before glancing at each other in a silent agreement and flinging themselves into the hug. Those who hadn't been scooped into it at first joined them, until the group were all standing in the middle of the room, their arms around each other.

A familiar sense of deja-vu swept over them and they remembered the last time they were like this, in the exact same position.

"_Group hug!" Rachel called, tears making steady tracks down her face. _

_The graduating Glee Clubbers didn't protest, breaking from their photo poses to gather around Rachel in a sad hug that said goodbye. Most of them were leaving within the week – there were no time for more parties. No time for last adventures or time to go do the things they promised they would._

_This was it for them._

_The group split and Kurt reached for Blaine's hand. _

_Well, not all of them._

_Blaine took it Kurt's hand and squeezed it reassuringly with a smile that didn't say what his hand was trying to. His eyes were wide and bright; he was scared. _

"_Alright guys…" William Schuester stood in front of them, looking wrecked and sad. "Let's move it to the choir room…I'd like to talk to you all."_

_The graduation had finished – they would be heading to an after-party later on that evening, but right now there was a lot of sobbing and hugging still going on._

_They walked the dark hallways to the choir room – so familiar and clean and theirs. Of course, over the year they'd gotten new members – ones that would carry on the memory of Glee club and keep it thriving – but for now it was just them. The fourteen of them gathered in the centre, taking a long look around them. _

Brittany squealed, clapping her hands like an excited toddler as they all broke apart. "Okay, I want to hear everything that happened to you all." She sat down on a beanbag.

"You can start Britt." Rachel grinned, planting herself next to her.

They all took their places and Brittney started her story.

After school, she received a scholarship through cheerleading but dropped it halfway through. It was a hobby – not something she just wanted to continue training for. She joined a dance school instead, and met her _husband, _Callum Samuels. He was a wealthy dancer who owned the house, and Brittany moved in a year before they married.

Everyone looked surprised at the news. She was smart and happy, and she had done a lot of growing up, mentally. She still had doughy moments, but they were less frequent.

"Tina, you and Mike next!" Rachel exclaimed – they were sitting to the right of Brittany.

Tina laughed, taking Mike's hand. "Well, after we graduated, Mike and I went to college. I studied the Performing Arts and did a couple of off-Broadway productions…"

"While I studied the dancing section of Performing Arts. We finished our courses…we settled down and got married…"

"And we started a family."

Faces lit up and excited gasps went up as Tina fished around in her bag for a photo.

"This is Grayson Mathias Chang." She passed it around and there were grins and comments about how cute it was (and how Asian it was from Noah). "He's two years old now."

Quinn had also grown up over the years, and had left popularity and recognition to become a preschool teacher. Kurt and Blaine told their story, followed by Artie's rise to motivational speaking, getting married somewhere in the midst. Finn had used his sporting scholarship to continue onto college with a double degree, and Puck had grown up and gotten married, settling down with his wife outside of Lima. She was six months pregnant.

Rachel told an elaborate tale of how she travelled to New York shortly after graduating and started her stage career from there. Mercedes had immersed herself in music therapy at hospitals, which surprised Kurt. Santana had come out as a lesbian and was proud, working as a receptionist somewhere in the city. Sam was a multi-purpose construction worker, while Lauren was saving up money so she and her boyfriend could travel the world.

They talked well into the night about who was with whom, and who they had seen since high school.

A part of Kurt wanted to know about David Karofsky, and what had become of him.

The other half of him _really_ didn't want to know.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Was that too long and in-depth? I dunno. Too tired to re-read it. I'm pretty happy with everything there, except for Lauren's future. I honestly sat there for like, 10 minutes going 'who the hell is she in the future?' I've been so busy lately, but school's back and knowing me, it means I'll be spewing out chapters instead of studying :)  
><strong>_


	12. Unexpected Changes

_**A/N: Ugh, I've hit a block. I've written quite a lot once they get back to Grovesdale, but I had so much trouble getting this chapter out. But, it finally happened. Mind you, I should be studying, but isn't that always the case?**_

* * *

><p>"Urrghh!" Blaine mumbled, rolling over and throwing his arm over Kurt's stomach.<p>

The countertenor let out a small whimper, rolling into Blaine and nuzzling his chest sleepily. "Sleep Blaine…sleep now."

Blaine nodded and curled into Kurt again, but it wasn't happening for Kurt. He shut his eyes tightly, willing himself back to sleep. Finally he gave up, blinking a couple of times, glancing around to find everyone else still asleep.

With a groan, he shifted away from Blaine, giving him a pillow to cuddle instead. He stood, glancing around at his old friends who were sprawled mostly everywhere. There were bodies, bags, pillows and sheets everywhere, and Kurt figured it was better to navigate his way to the kitchen rather than wake everyone up. Jumping over Blaine, he stumbled out the door, down the hallway until he found the kitchen.

It was a little past nine in the morning. Kurt had slept in. He stretched, yawning and internally cursing his inability to go back to sleep. Shrugging to himself, he looked through Brittany's fridge.

"Babe?" Blaine mumbled from the doorway, his curls an unkempt mess.

Kurt smiled, turning away from where he'd located the eggs.

"Morning…" he pulled Blaine forward into a hug, and he returned it with a yawn.

"Want some help?" Blaine mumbled.

"No…it's okay. Sit down." He shooed Blaine to a bar stool. "Want some coffee?"

Blaine nodded with a smile, and Kurt put the kettle on, returning to the eggs. He fumbled through the stove controls, getting the heat up before locating the bacon and putting almost the whole packet on.

Blaine raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning on eating _all _of that?"

Kurt smirked. "It's for everyone else too."

Blaine nodded, gratefully taking the coffee Kurt passed to him.

"What's planned for today?"

"I was thinking we could go to the park or something. Bond over sandwiches and ants?" Brittany appeared, rubbing her eyes. "Then we could go out drinking tonight, deal with the hangover tomorrow and have the majority of you driving home on Monday."

Kurt smiled, moving the bacon around as Brittany got to work getting herself a coffee. "Sounds fun."

"The others won't be up for a while." She informed them with a smile as Kurt cracked the eggs on top of the bacon. "Your hard work will get cold."

Kurt shrugged. "You have a microwave."

Blaine stretched half-heartedly.

"What are you boys doing up anyway?"

Kurt smirked. "Blaine woke me up."

Blaine shot him an apologetic smile. "I don't like sleeping alone."

Brittany's eyes went wide with a small 'awh'. "That's so cute."

Kurt pulled the pan away from the heat with a blush, pouring the giant omelette onto a plate. "Help yourselves!" he turned to Brittany. "You don't mind me using your food?"

"Go ahead." She grinned and Blaine piled a heap onto his plate.

Kurt found sausages and hash-browns in the freezer, throwing them in the pan. Blaine dragged his stool over to Kurt, sitting on it and feeding Kurt while he cooked.

"Thanks baby." Kurt kissed his cheek.

Brittany watched them fondly as she started eating.

"So Britt, where's your husband?"

"Dance workshop." She sighed softly. "I miss him."

"How long has he been gone?"

"Since Friday morning."

Kurt smiled, flipping a few golden hash browns onto another plate.

"I smell food." Mercedes announced, entering the kitchen.

"You have a keen nose." Blaine laughed, forking a piece of sausage into Kurt's mouth.

He made a face. "Still raw."

Blaine returned the sausage to the pan, grinning as Mercedes slumped next to Brittany.

"You want some coffee, Mercedes?" Blaine asked.

She shook her head. "No thanks – that stuff is _horrible!"_

Kurt grinned, filling up the plates as the other ex-New Directions started trickling in. He also found fruit – strawberries and whipped cream and rockmelon, adding them to the growing pile of food.

By then, all they were missing were Finn and Puck.

"Are you sure they'll eat all that?" Tina asked as Kurt started on pancakes, still being fed by Blaine.

There was plenty of each type of food left over, and almost everyone had finished their share.

"If I remember rightly, Finn eats like a horse. I can't imagine Puck is much different?"

"And that would've only increased as they got older…" Blaine grinned.

Finn and Puck stumbled in at the same time, blearily rubbing their eyes as Kurt flipped his fifth pancake.

"Morning!" chorused the group, and they mumbled replies.

"Food is here. Help yourselves – everyone else has eaten." Kurt informed them, and immediately Finn brightened, reaching for the plate of sausages.

The two boys practically inhaled their food, thanking Kurt somewhere in the midst of their swallows.

^.^

"I didn't think it would take eight picnic baskets…" Brittany said softly as Puck and Finn hauled the last two from the car.

Kurt chuckled, wrapping his arms around Blaine and straightening out a picnic blanket with his foot.

"Everyone dig in!" Brittany called as the ex-New Directions planted themselves on the many rugs, the picnic baskets all spread around them.

There was a bit of an awkward silence as they ate – they had shared so much information the night before, they had nothing new to share. Kurt mused that it would be easier that night – they'd all be drunk and _then _the secrets would come out.

"Are you guys up for a round of football?" Finn asked after they finished eating, his brow furrowed.

Puck gave a chuckle. "Fuck yes."

His choice of words made both Quinn and Mercedes wrinkle their noses, but neither of them said anything.

"No thanks…" Kurt grinned, patting his stomach. "Still digesting."

Blaine grinned, kissing his boyfriend on the cheek. "I'm in."

"I'll keep score!" Mercedes announced, and Tina opted to sit out as well.

The others took their places in the large field and the game began.

^.^

Kurt couldn't get over how _different _everything was. Even with alcohol, they were quiet and more subdued. Gentle music played in the background, and at the beginning, there was some half-hearted dancing, but mostly they talked.

Six years ago, they were animals – drinking and dancing and kissing people they weren't supposed to. There were conflicted emotions and relationships, and nobody was sure what they were doing or what they were doing.

Six years ago, they were close.

Now they were older and smarter. Sure, they still didn't _really _know what they were doing, but they knew what they wanted, and they were doing their best to get there.

They had been distanced, just like they had feared at their graduation.

Everything was awkward, and everything had changed.

Kurt wasn't surprised when he woke up without a hangover. They'd gone to bed before midnight, and they all woke before eight.

They could all feel the change. They knew it had happened, and yet nobody wanted to address it. So they hugged when they left, promising to keep in contact, but each of them knew it wouldn't happen.

In high school, they'd been drawn together by Glee club. As adults, their differences outweighed the similarities.

Kurt was mostly silent for the five hours home, barely joining in when Blaine belted out the lyrics to their favourite songs.

"You okay?"

They were halfway home, filling up at a gas station.

Kurt looked over at Blaine.

"I expected things to change…" he started. "But I didn't realise how much it would've."

Blaine shrugged.

"There's always Facebook."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So yeah. Hopefully some more chapters will go up quick, but I've got like, 5 more tests and 3 more assignments due by Friday, so...maybe. Then I've got Math Camp, so there'll be nothing for a whole week :)**_


	13. Meeting the Parents

_**A/N: Oh my god it's been...ages. Oh, okay. So it's been two months. It isn't that long.** __**I thought it was longer. Annnyway. It's the last day of school tomorrow, for year 11 at least. Expect actual updates this time :P**_

* * *

><p>"They're going to kill me." Kurt muttered as they parked in the driveway of his old home.<p>

"No they won't…" Blaine grinned, getting out and standing at the hood of the car.

Kurt hesitated. He felt incredibly guilty about it being so long since he had seen Burt and Carole. He got out anyway and took Blaine's hand, heading to the door and knocking.

A tired, old looking Carole answered the door. Her face lit up with the biggest grin Kurt had ever seen. She squealed and pulled Kurt into a crushing hug.

"Burt!" she cried into the house, pulling Blaine into the hug with one arm.

"Hey Carole." Kurt managed to choke out, hugging the woman close.

"Kurt!" Burt's gruff voice came from the house, and then he was out there as well, pulling Kurt into a hug. He was thinner – older and tired, but he was still Kurt's dad. "It's about time you came and visited."

"Yeah…" Kurt blushed. "Sorry about that."

"No matter!" Carole gushed. "You're here now! Do you boys want some tea? Coffee? How long can you stay?"

"Not too long, sadly." Blaine said softly.

"We just came in to say hi. We want to go see Blaine's parents too."

Blaine froze. "What?"

Kurt looked over at him casually. "I thought we could stop by your old house and I could meet your parents."

"That's…not a good idea…"

"Kurt, Blaine…are you coming in?" Carole stood at the door, holding the door open with a warm smile.

Kurt grinned and nodded, entering the house.

"We're not done talking about this." Blaine said softly as he followed him in.

^.^

They spent half an hour at Kurt's old home, with Burt and Carole mostly gushing about how grown up they looked nowadays. Kurt often called them, so they were already up-to-date with everything that was going on in their lives. Now back in the car, Kurt tried to address the previous conversation.

"So…your parents…?"

"Kurt…" Blaine sighed. "You do remember that my parents kicked me out."

"It's been six years Blaine…have you even called them since you left?"

"They don't care." Blaine said stubbornly.

"I'm sure they do…" Kurt put his hand on Blaine's leg, stroking gently. "Please. For me? I want to meet the people who raised you to be so perfect…"

Blaine couldn't argue with the puppy eyes Kurt was giving him. "Fine…"

Blaine reluctantly told him the address and Kurt grinned triumphantly, backing out of the driveway and heading towards Westerville. Blaine was silent and tense as Kurt drove, debating whether he should call ahead of time. His mother's mobile number still sat in his contact list – for emergencies.

Before he could make up his mind, Kurt pulled up at the iron gates. Had it really been two hours? Blaine stared upon the house he grew up in with a strange combination of remorse and hatred. It was exactly the same – unyielding and intimidating, but the windows glowed with warmth that Blaine barely recognised.

Kurt was silent, almost cowering back into his seat as he stared at the gates. They had started to creak open – there was a sensor – and Kurt let out a breath as he drove up to the house.

"It's big." Kurt commented and Blaine nodded slightly.

"My mother always said it was over-done." Blaine said softly.

Kurt pulled up a little before the house, parking and getting out. This time it was Blaine's turn to hesitate.

"I don't think I can do this…" Blaine whispered when Kurt tapped on his window.

"Come on." Kurt assured him with a kiss on the cheek, opening his door.

Blaine sucked in a deep breath and Kurt froze as he heard barking.

"Relax." Blaine reassured him. "It's just my mother's dogs."

"Guard dogs?"

Blaine shook his head with a small smile. "They wouldn't hurt a fly. Mr. Anderson wanted to get rid of them – 'they don't do anything but take up space and money'" Blaine's imitation of his father made Kurt grin, but Blaine didn't look very happy. "Mother wouldn't let him – she rescues them from pounds."

"She sounds nice…" Kurt said softly, taking Blaine's hand as they walked to the doors.

"My mother…she's the best. But she's Mr. Anderson's wife before she's my mother." Blaine explained softly, jerking his hand away from Kurt's. "Sorry…but Mr. Anderson…he wouldn't appreciate…"

Kurt nodded in understanding, noting the way Blaine suddenly turned more formal, talking eloquently and standing straighter. Old habits die hard, Kurt supposed.

Blaine rapped on the door three times with his knuckles, his hands then clasping behind his back. Kurt stood awkwardly behind him, clutching his shoulder bag and fiddling with the straps.

The woman that opened the door was _nothing _like Kurt expected. She was short – a little shorter than Blaine, with dark eye sockets from a lack of sleep. Wrinkles lined her face – she was a lot older than Kurt thought Blaine's mother was, with grey streaks lining her black curly hair.

She took in Blaine, her eyes raking his figure, and Kurt could've sworn she didn't recognise him for a moment. Her eyes widened in realisation, and Blaine just stood there, looking at her.

"Blaine…" she breathed, swallowing hard and taking a step back into the house.

"Mother." Blaine said softly, biting his lower lip.

There was no move to hug – it wasn't a big, tear-filled reunion like Kurt had imagined. It was awkward.

"Master Anderson isn't home." She spoke as if they weren't married – as if she was his servant.

Blaine nodded. "Good. I've just…Kurt wanted to see the house I grew up in. Kurt, this is my mother, Christina."

She gave Kurt a long stare, and Kurt _knew _what she was thinking. Still, Kurt held out his hand. She swallowed and put on a smile.

"Nice to meet you Kurt."

She visibly relaxed – all the tension washed away and she let out a breath. Blaine realised it, and he finally smiled.

"So is Kurt your…"

Blaine nodded with a grin. "Yeah. He's mine."

Christina just laughed, and Kurt finally saw Blaine in her. "Come in, come in. Robert won't be back for a while."

Blaine eagerly stepped onto the tiles of the front room, taking Kurt's hand.

"Let me give you a quick tour." Blaine grinned and Christina offered them drinks, then hurried to fetch them some water. "So front room, living room is through there, rumpus room is in the back. Toilets are attached to the rumpus room. Come upstairs!"

Blaine told it like an old book, grinning as he pointed out little rooms and quirks about his childhood. He finally got to a room at the end of the hall, taking a deep breath.

"This used to be my room." Blaine said softly, turning the knob.

The door swung open and Kurt caught the whiff of musty and stale air. It appeared that the room hadn't been touched in years. Crop circles in the carpet noted where bookcases and beds had been – Kurt was surprised that they were still there – but the room was empty.

"They let me get my clothes and some of my things before they forced me to leave." Blaine shook his head, correcting himself. "Before he forced me to leave. He said that leaving Dalton to be with a fag was the last straw."

Kurt stroked Blaine's hand gently, but he didn't seem sad. He closed the door and headed back down the stairs.

Halfway down, the front door opened.

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_ _**Oshi-**_


	14. Boy Bands

_**A/N: -t. Haha. Okay, so this is a dodge chapter but guise, guess what? I JUST FINISHED GRADE 11. k, on with the story.** _

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><p>Robert Anderson strode into the house, unaware of the two men standing on the landing of his stairs. His hair was greying too, his face morphed into a scowl from being miserable most of his life.<p>

"Christina? Who's car is out-" he had caught sight of Blaine and Kurt.

"Robert…" Christina whispered as Blaine quickly let go of Kurt's hand, his eyes wide and fearful.

Kurt's heart rose into his throat as he watched Robert's face contort into rage.

"What are you doing here?" he spat, and Blaine flinched, recoiling.

"Robert, please. Come into the kitchen and they will leave."

"Don't tell me what to do." Robert glared, his gaze returning to Kurt and Blaine.

Kurt could feel the older man's eyes on him, and he stared at the ground.

"This your fag?" Robert growled, taking a threatening step forward. "Get out of my fucking house. I told you never to come back here."

Blaine said nothing, nudging Kurt to follow him as he practically ran down the stairs.

"Time won't change a fucking thing Blaine. You stay out of this house. I mean it. I catch you here again and I'll report you for trespassing. You're not welcome."

Robert stood aside as Blaine and Kurt fled, closing the door quickly behind them. Kurt's eyes welled with tears as they hurried to the car, and he didn't slow down until they had exited the gates.

"I'm so sorry." Blaine whispered as he saw the tears running down Kurt's face. "I didn't think he'd be home and-"

Kurt shook his head, pulling over. He grabbed Blaine's hand. "_I'm_ sorry. I'm sorry you had to grow up with that bastard and I'm sorry we hadn't met sooner." He kissed Blaine's cheek. "I'm sorry I forced you to take me to see them…"

Blaine smiled, kissing him gently. "It's okay. It was good seeing my mother again."

Kurt nodded, wiping his eyes. "Sorry about the…" he gestured to his eyes. "I was just…shocked…"

Blaine nodded, kissing him again and sighing. "Let's go home."

Both of them were silent on the way home, up until the very end, when Blaine put his hand on Kurt's thigh gently.

"You can't change everyone babe. My parents…they were brought up differently and I don't care if they have different beliefs. That's the past now."

"But Blaine…your parents…"

Blaine raised an eyebrow.

"You shouldn't have to live your life not being with them."

"I shouldn't." Blaine nodded. "But I'm going to. They mean nothing to me."

Kurt nodded slightly, but he didn't believe Blaine. His mother – she was nice – there was someone that cared for Blaine, hiding behind Mr. Anderson's strong, firm threshold.

Kurt was determined to find her.

^.^

Tuesday afternoon came quickly, and the issue of Blaine's parents didn't come up again.

"Welcome back!" Blaine clapped his hands to silence the Glee Clubbers. "Did everyone have a good weekend?"

There were happy nods and Blaine rubbed his hands together.

"I'd like to introduce you to three very special friends of mine." Blaine grinned, glancing over at Kurt.

Kurt opened the door, and the lights immediately dimmed, making the group of students let out a hushed gasp. Jeff, Nick and Wes slid out, dark sunglasses on their faces and their leather jackets slung over their shoulders, resembling any bad boy band. Their song was smooth and low, and Kurt and Blaine watched, stifling laughs as their students either rolled their eyes or were entirely captivated.

Thirty seconds in, and the tempo and mood changed, and the three boys produced a fantastic performance with a mixture of choreography that greatly resembled the Warbler's, and their own style thrown in.

They finished with great flourish and the room burst into applause.

"Hey guys!" the three men beamed at their audience, before Wes started the introductions.

"So we're just some of the Warblers from Dalton Academy." Wes started. "And when we left school we stayed together for a bit. I studied Law, Jeff studied Economics and Nick went to college for Early Childhood. While doing our studies, we started singing, and since most of us went to the same college, we started up a band."

"Music is our passion – but it will always come secondary to us." Jeff continued. "Music won't get you very far if you're not very good, and even if you are, you'll always have lapses. Having a stable background is _so_ important."

"We've made a few CDs but we're fairly low-key at the moment, but we've started late and we don't do the kind of music that the majority of people enjoy, but we're getting there. Fame and Fortune doesn't always come at once, and maybe we'll never be on MTV or anything, but we love it, and that's the only thing that should matter." Nick finished, and the three boys grinned at each other.

"Did you all bring your instruments?" Blaine spoke up, and some of them nodded.

"Wes, Nick and Jeff are going to take it from here…." Kurt said with a grin, and then stood at the back with Blaine, watching as the three boys spoke in front of their students.

Kurt listened with interest as they spoke, and he kept one thing in mind; 'Fame and Fortune doesn't always come at once'. He had to concentrate on it, or things became too much. He wanted to be in New York _so _much, but he loved to teach and they really couldn't afford it at the moment.

But Kurt had something to keep him going, and someone to share it with.

He glanced over at Blaine, giving him a small grin.

"What are you thinking?" Blaine asked, returning the grin.

Kurt chuckled, dipping his head. "All good things come to those who wait."

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><p><em><strong>AN: Don't worry, we'll get some bonding time with the boys. I just couldn't be bothered writing Monday night.** _


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